The One Thing Most Companies Fail To Do After Receiving Customer Feedback

This article answers the question: What’s the one thing most companies fail to do after receiving customer feedback?

Answer: Most companies don’t acknowledge the feedback or tell customers what they did with it, even though doing so builds trust, increases satisfaction, and can even turn into loyalty.

One of our subscribers, Heidi Reslow, recently shared a story about a hotel stay. A noisy neighbor kept guests awake through the night. Even after the hotel security asked the guest twice to be quiet, the noise continued.  

Heidi made it clear she wasn’t sharing the story to complain, but instead to share how well the hotel responded after receiving her feedback.  

Unfortunately, that’s not the norm. Whether the feedback comes in a formal survey, a direct message to a business (email, text, etc.), or in person, many companies fail to respond properly. Here are a few of the interesting findings about surveys and feedback from my annual customer service and CX research (which is available to you at no charge at www.CustomerExperienceResearch.com):  

• 65% of customers say they never hear back from a company after completing a survey. 

• 74% of customers feel more satisfied when a company acknowledges a completed survey with a follow-up survey. 

• 66% of customers assume the company won’t make any changes based on their responses to a survey. 

That’s why Heidi’s experience stood out. The hotel didn’t just acknowledge her feedback. They took action and responded with an email that included a sincere apology, a “thank you” for the feedback, and a desire for Heidi to return. Here’s the part of the email that stood out to me. It explained exactly what the hotel was doing in response to Heidi’s feedback:  

I have reviewed the incident with our Security and Front Desk teams, and our Security team has addressed the guests involved. I have also shared your kind recognition of Tatiana with her manager. In addition, I’ve asked our Engineering team to inspect the adjoining door and related soundproofing to determine what improvements are needed. I checked on your (extra) points, and you should be able to see them within the next 72 hours. 

Here’s my take:  

1. A for the personalization: This wasn’t a canned apology. It referenced Heidi’s specific experience and showed they had investigated what happened.  

2. A for the effort: They tried to solve the problem while Heidi was at the hotel. Even though they couldn’t completely resolve it, the effort matters.  

3. A for accountability: They explained what they were going to do to help prevent this from happening to other guests.  

4. A for recovery: They backed up the apology with meaningful compensation, which Heidi appreciated. In this case, it was bonus points in their hotel program.   

The lesson is simple. Customers don’t expect perfection. What they do expect is to be heard. When someone takes time to share feedback, acknowledge it, act on it, and let them know what you did. That final step is where many companies fall short. When customers see their feedback led to action, trust grows, and that’s often enough to earn another chance.

Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops at www.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.